Beaches Near Cooper City, Florida

Related Articles

Cooper City is about 10 miles inland from Florida's Atlantic coast, southwest of Fort Lauderdale and northwest of Hollywood. Heading roughly due east from Cooper City, beachgoers can take their pick of Fort Lauderdale's beaches, which extend northward, or Hollywood's beaches to the south. From Cooper City, Stirling Road or Griffin Road offer the most direct routes to nearby beaches.

John U. Lloyd Beach State Park

Due west of Cooper City, John U. Lloyd Beach State Park (floridastateparks.org/lloydbeach) offers white-sand Atlantic beaches, plus walking trails and canals through mangrove habitats that are ideal for canoeing, kayaking or fishing. The beach also features a snack bar, the Loggerhead Cafe, named after the loggerhead sea turtles commonly seen along the beach. Because sea turtles regularly nest along the beach, visitors are obliged to steer clear of any marked turtle nests. Visitors may rent various watercraft, barbecue grills, volleyballs or picnic gazebos. Well-behaved pets are permitted in the park, but not on the beach. When on trails or elsewhere in the park, pets must stay on leashes 6 feet or shorter.

Hollywood North Beach Park

Immediately south of John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, Hollywood North Beach Park (broward.org/parks/hollywoodnorthbeachpark) spans 56 acres and has 1.1 miles of beachfront. Parking is available by the beach for a daily fee, and metered parking is located just inland of this Broward County facility. A concession stand sells beverages, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream and novelties. Adjoining restrooms and outdoor showers also are available to beach visitors. Other amenities include picnic tables, barbecue grills and a 60-foot observation tower, accessible by stairs only. Two shelters are available for rent, each with a capacity of 50 people. Like John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, Hollywood North Beach Park is a regular nesting ground for sea turtles.

Fort Lauderdale Beach Park

On the north side of John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, Fort Lauderdale offers additional options for Cooper City-based beachgoers. Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (ci.ftlaud.fl.us/cityparks/ftlaud_beach) has a wide range of amenities, including restrooms, barbecue grills, picnic tables, basketball and volleyball courts, outdoor showers and boat ramps for non-motorized crafts such as canoes and kayaks. Unlike most local beaches, which close about dusk, Fort Lauderdale Beach Park remains open until midnight.

Other Hollywood Beaches

South of Hollywood's North Beach Park, beach-goers have a range of facilities at Hollywood's beach parks (hollywoodfl.org/parks_rec/beaches.htm). The city's beaches include a dog beach between Pershing and Custer streets, where dogs may play off-leash. Charnow Park, located at the end of Connecticut Street, features picnic pavilions, six paddleball courts, interactive water fountains, playgrounds and an entertainment pavilion. At 100 Johnson Street, right at the Hollywood Beach & Broadwalk, the Hollywood Beach Theatre presents concert series throughout the year, with open seating on the sand and a temporary dance floor along the boardwalk.

Resources

About the Author

Danielle Hill has been writing, editing and translating since 2005. She has contributed to "Globe Pequot" Barcelona travel guide, "Gulfshore Business Magazine," "Connecting Lines: New Poetry from Mexico" and "The Barcelona Review." She has trained in neuro-linguistic programming and holds a Bachelor of Arts in comparative literature and literary translation from Brown University.